Manalapan Democrats Set Sights on Fall Election

Ryan Urgo, David Goldstein, and Carmen Roque are all running for office on the Manalapan Township Committee.

Planning Board Chair Temporarily Fills Vacant Seat on Manalapan Committee

Don Holland's resignation left an open seat on the Township Committee which Jack McNaboe will fill until the next election.

The empty Manalapan Township Committee seat, left vacant after Committeeman Don Holland officially resigned from his position on March 3, was not vacant for long. Jack McNaboe was sworn into the Township Committee on Wednesday, March 13 and he will temporarily fill the seat until the vacancy is filled for its unexpired term at the next General Election, according to the Township resolution. McNaboe was one of three possible nominees that the Manalapan Republican Committee presented to the Township Committee. He is currently the Chairman of the Manalapan Township Planning Board. The resolution to temporarily fill the open seat was offered and moved by Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz. Committeeman Ryan Green seconded the motion and it was …

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Republicans Maskowitz and Musich Running Together for Township Committee

Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz will be seeking re-election alongside Mary Ann Musich, a WMUA commissioner.

Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz and Mary Ann Musich will be running together this Novemebr for three year-terms on the Manalapan Township Committee, the Manalapan Township Republican Party announced. Both candidates were unanimously endorsed by the Manalapan Republican County Committee at their meeting on March 9. Maskowitz’s current three-year term on the Township Committee ends Dec. 31. The other vacant seat on the Committee, which Musich wants to fill, will be left by Committeeman Andrew Lucas. Lucas’ term also ends on Dec. 31 and he chose not to run for re-election. “I’m looking forward to running for re-election to the Township Committee this fall, and I’m honored that both Mary Ann Musich and I have the full support of the Manalapan …

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Lacrosse Program Loses Travel Team in Town Takeover

The Manalapan Recreation Department terminates its partnership with Nomad Lacrosse and says most travel team members were not township residents.

The Manalapan Recreation Department terminated their outside partnership with Nomad Lacrosse in the beginning of the year, including their travel program, due to inadequate funds from the program and because the majority of the children on the travel team were not Manalapan residents, which violates Township law. The lacrosse program is now completely run by the Manalapan Recreation Department, however there is no travel team. The Manalapan Recreation Department informed Bill Marra, the founder of Nomad Lacrosse, that they would be taking over the youth lacrosse program and that Nomad would not be able to continue within Manalapan at the start of 2013. “I was fine with that because it all comes back to the children,” Marra said. However, …

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Manalapan Committeeman Don Holland Resigns Due to Health Issues

Holland has officially stepped down from his position on the Township Committee.

Manalapan Township Committeeman Don Holland officially resigned from the Township Committee on Monday, March 4. Holland informed Manalapan administrators this morning. Holland cited health difficulties as the reason for leaving office, Manalapan Republican Municipal Party Chairman Stephen McEnery stated in a press release. Holland declined to comment on the resignation. Holland has served the Manalapan Township Committee as both a Republican and a Democrat and has served as Deputy Mayor under both parties, McEnery said. He was also the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, a former Chairman of the Planning Board, and was liaison to a multitude of volunteer committees. His term on the Township Committee was set to expire in 2014. "Holland’…

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Monmouth County Freeholders Approve Preservation of Lucas' Farm

Monmouth County narrowly voted to approve the payment, just as the Township Committee barely approved payment to them the night before.

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted to approve a payment to Manalapan Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas for the developmental rights to his Burke Farm, the county’s percentage of the nearly $1.16 million deal, the Asbury Park Press reported. According to the Asbury Park Press, The Freeholders voted 3-2 in approval of a resolution which dispenses $277,920 from Monmouth County’s Open Space Trust Fund for the developmental rights of the farm, a 96-acre property located on Iron Ore Road in Manalapan Township. The heated Freeholder meeting on Thursday came on the heels of Manalapan’s narrow vote approving the payment of the Township’s percentage of the deal to the county, which the Township is legally obligated to pay. The …

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Curious George

10:10 am on Sunday, March 3, 2013

I'm sorry...If Mr. Maskwitz really believed, as he stated, that he had reservations because of the perception of unethical behavior because it involved a sitting committeeman, he should have voted NO. Too many of our serious problems in this country are caused by politicians NOT voting their conscience but their political expediency. As we have seen in this case, an abstention was no different …   more ›

Manalapan Approves Burke Farm Payment to Monmouth County

The vote on the purchase order was tight with two "yes" votes, one "no", and one abstention.

The Manalapan Township Committee will pay Monmouth County their portion of the farmland preservation project for sitting Committeeman Andrew Lucas’ Burke Farm as the purchase order to the county was approved in a narrow vote Wednesday night. The payment of $186,969.10, which was removed from the Township’s previous bill list and placed on the most recent one, is a sum which the Township is legally obligated to pay to Monmouth County because both the county and the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) approved Lucas’ application to sell the developmental rights of Burke Farm. The sum represents 16 percent of the farm’s acquisition and the Township made the commitment to pay this percentage when they agreed to participate in Burke …

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TELL US: What Manalapan Roads Need Paving Improvement?

Let us know where the pot-holes are in the comments below!

The Manalapan Transportation Advisory Committee is currently looking at paving issues throughout Manalapan Township. Manalapan Township Committeeman Ryan Green, the liaison to the Transportation Advisory Committee, said that recommendations for road improvements will be discussed for the 2013 budget concerning increased paving and infrastructure maintenance. TELL US: What roads need paving improvements in Manalapan?

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Manalapan Parks and Rec Fees Raised

The range of fees for Manalapan Parks and Recreation have been raised.

The Manalapan Township Committee has adopted an ordinance raising the Parks and Recreation fees at their last Township Committee meeting. The ordinance amended the fee ranges for costs associated with Manalapan Township Parks and Recreation events, programs, and facilities. Manalapan resident Deborah Smarth vocalized her delight at the fee increases, stating that an increase in fees takes the burden off of the taxpayers who do not use the Parks and Recreation programs and facilities. Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz said that the thinking behind the fee increases were exactly that. Last year, the Committee evaluated the fees and realized that they were way too low given the high costs of maintaining the facilities, Maskowitz said. …

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Teenagers Sworn into New Teen Leadership Committee [VIDEO]

A new teenage volunteer group in Manalapan has welcomed members and is looking for more.

Manalapan Mayor Susan Cohen appointed local teenagers to the township’s new Teen Leadership Committee at the Township Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 13. The Teen Leadership Committee provides “a forum for the creativity and free flow of ideas as a means for teens to provide leadership amongst their peers and encourage positive activities and projects to benefit our Township,” the official proclamation read. Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz introduced the idea of forming a teenage-run volunteer group in December 2012.  Chairman Marci Stillman, Maskowitz, and other adults will offer guidance to the teenagers, but the committee will be solely managed by the teenagers. Teenagers that were sworn into the group on Wednesday are:   The Teen …

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